The names
and identities of the Antique Monuments, with in the oldtown of Famagusta, Cyprus,
are determined according to the historical documents or to word of mouth. Most
of the times, due to lack of official records or original documents, names
originating from the history were adopted. With in the city walls ofOldtown, the name “Ayia
PhotouChurch” is given to
two side by side antique monuments, 20 m. apart, which both are now in ruins. These
two ruins are situated at the north east sector of the town and are very close
to the midpoint of Torrion del Diamante (Karpaz
Tabya)andTorrion del Mozzo (Köpük Kulesi). According
to my dense researches, the name of the antique monument on the south should be
“Ayia Photou Church” and the name of
antique monument on the north should be “St.
Dominic Church”. In Famagusta, once a very
rich town of Medieval,
were two Bishoprics and seven churches of different [Christian] religious
orders. One of them was the famous “St.
Dominic Church” of Franciscan order. In the gravure of Stephan Gibellino,
dated 1571 named “Citta di Famagosta”,
the “St. Dominic Church” was clearly
drawn with the belfry and back-garden encircled with high walls and marked with
No.5 and footnoted as “St. Dominic Church”.
It was located on the north east part of the town and close to the midpoint ofTorrion del Diamante and Torrion del Mozzo.On the east part of the church, hippodrome “loro
di trar al palio” was drawn, which till 1950’s this area served to the
similar purpose. Unfortunately the “St.
Dominic Church” suddenly disappeared from the papers, documents, registries,
records, archives and even from memories after the conquest of the town by the
Ottomans on 1571 although the Ottomans tried their best to preserve the antique
monuments of Christian religion for almost 300 years and handed over the town to
British on 1878 same as it was on 1571.

2 Location of the church in
gravures and maps

2.1 S.
Gibellino’s three dimensional birds eye gravure dated 1571

Just
before the conquest of the town by the Ottomans on 1571, which was one of the
richest towns of Medieval, there were two Bishoprics and seven churches of
different [Christian] religious orders. One of these churches, which was ranking
the fifth in the order of importance, was the “St. Dominic Church”. The position
of this church was very clearly pin pointed in the Stephan Gibellino’s 1571
dated gravure map titled “Citta di Famagosta”[1]. The map shows even the
smallest detail concerning the siege of
Famagusta, including the number of troops, cannons,
horses, tents, streets, houses, churches and cathedrals.

The
church, with its unique belfry and walled back garden, is drawn approximately in
between the Torrion del Diamante (Karpaz Tabya)andTorrion del Mozzo (Köpük
Kulesi) and close to midpoint, to the south of intersecting point of the city
walls, forming a rigid corner called “Beş Parmak Mazgalı” by the locals. The
church is marked with letter 5 and footnoted as “St. Dominico”. On the east of
church is the hippodrome “loro
di trar al palio” marked with number 13.

Figure 1
: Part of the S. Gibellino’s gravure detailing the siege of Famagusta.

St.
Dominic church is marked with letter 5 and hippodrome
13.

Figure 2
:Part of the S. Gibellino’s
gravure detailing the siege of
Famagusta.

Town of
Famagusta with in the walls.

2.2 Karl
Baedeker’s Map of Famagusta dated 1914

In the
map drawn by Karl Baedeker [2] and printed in Leipzig, dated 1914, the above
mentioned Church, namely St. Dominic, shown under the title “St. Clara”
approximately in between the Torrion del Diamante (Karpaz Tabya)andTorrion del Mozzo (Köpük
Kulesi) and 90 m. to the south of intersecting point of the city walls,forming a rigid corner called “Beş Parmak Mazgali” by the locals.

From
Signoria (Halkali Mazgal), if a parallel line is drawn to the straight line
connecting the Torrion del Diamante (Karpaz Tabya)andTorrion del Mozzo (Köpük Kulesi), this line will pass
from the St. Clara Church,exactly
after 140 m. from the Signoria (Halkali Mazgal).See Fig 4.

2.3 Map
drawn by Land Registry and Survey Department on 1928 & 1930 during British era

During
the British Colonial rule in
Cyprus
a survey map [3] to the scale 1:1000 and 1: 2500 drawn up by the Land registry
and Survey Department to show the building sites, fields and plots in detail. In
this survey map of Cyprus drawn in the years 1928-1930, the above mentioned
church is shown under a new name “Ayia
Photou (In Ruins) A.M.” in Sheet/Map 33/4.5.1&2, Block A, City/Town/Village
: Famagusta, Plot 47. In this map the church is located 110 m. north of KIBATEK
Foundation building. See Figure 5.

Figure 4 : Parallel line passing through St. Clara Church

Figure 5
:Ayia Photou Church in Land
registry and Survey Department’s map

2.4 Map
drawn by Housing and Rehabilitation Department of TRNC on 1995

In the
map drawn by Housing and Rehabilitation
Department [4] of Turkish
Republic
of North Cyprus , printed in
Nicosia on 1995, the above mentioned church was
located 30 m. to the north west
ofTürk Gücü Sports Club main
building under the name “Ay. Photou
Kilisesi (Hb)” [Church A.M.]. See Figure 6 below.

Figure 6
: Ay PhotouChurch
in the map drawn by Housing and Rehabilitation Department of Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, 1995

2.5
Guiseppo Rosaccio’s Map of Famagusta dated 1597

In the
map drawn by Guiseppo Rosaccio [5], detailing the siege of
Famagusta
in the year 1571, printed in Venice
on 1597,the church with a belfry
can be seen very clearly in between the Citadel and Torrion del Diamante (Karpaz
Tabya) right under the four soldiers
with a lance in hand. See Figures 7 and 8

Figure 7
: Guiseppo Rosaccio’s Map of Famagusta dated 1597

Figure 8
: Location of church in detail

There is
no footnote in this map detailing where is what.In the maps drawn up on 16th century, the custom was to show
the most outstanding churches in gravures. Comparing this church with a similar
belfry as in the map of Gibellino, which definitely is a Catholic church rather
than an Orthodox, it is obviously clear that it’s name should be St. Dominic
also.The location is the same, the
position is matching and in both maps, Gibellino and Rosaccio, the shape of
church and the belfry is exactly the same.

3 Exact
location of the church

If the
maps issued by K. Baedeker, Land Registry and Survey Department of the British
Colonial Government and Housing and Rehabilitation Department of Turkish
Republic of Northern Cyprus were placed on top of each other, it will be clearly
seen that The churches named “St. Clara”
and “Ayia Photou”
are exactly on the same spot and their
locations coincide.

The
church marked with number 5 and detailed as “St. Dominic” in the footnote of the
map drawn by Gibellino and the church drawn in between the Citadel andTorrion del Diamante (Karpaz Tabya) in the G. Rosaccio’s map are also the
same churches. Their location and position are the same and in matching places
in both maps.

When the
map drawn by Gibellino is studied in detail and the rules of perspective drawing
is taken in to consideration, the distances from the above mentioned church to
Torrion del Diamante (Karpaz Tabya), to Torrion del Mozzo
(Köpük Kulesi), to Beş Parmak Mazgalı
and to Signoria (Halkalı Mazgal)
are exactly the same fromSt. Clara
Church or Ayia Photu Church to the above specified places.

4
Conclusion

As a
result of the above matchings and calculations it is clearly seen and understood
that the churches detailed in two medieval gravures and three 20th
century maps, named as St. Clara, Ayia Photu and Ayia Photou are the same
churches, and originally is the St. Dominic Churchmarked with number 5 and detailed as “St. Dominic” in the footnote of the
map drawn by Gibellino.